The present invention relates to a glass plate positioning and supplying machine.
When glass plates are processed with a cutting machine, a polishing machine, a washing machine, etc., they must be precisely positioned and supplied on a conveying roller to be transferred into the above mentioned machines.
Various types of glass plate positioning machines have been proposed. Japanese Utility Model Publication Sho 62-2187 discloses a glass plate positioning machine comprising a table disposed beside a conveying roller, a brush conveyor mounted on the table, stoppers disposed on the table, and a pusher disposed on the table, wherein the brush conveyor transfers the glass plate not only forward but also rearward, the stoppers restrict the movement of the glass plate on the brush conveyor, and the pusher moves at right angles to the moving direction of the glass plate on the brush conveyor while the glass plate is moved by the brush conveyor. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Hei 1-126338 discloses a glass plate positioning machine comprising a glass plate holder having tiers of grooves for receiving glass plates, means for moving the glass plate holder in the vertical direction, a positioning unit for horizontally positioning a glass plate in the glass plate holder, and a transferring unit having suction pads for adhering to the horizontally positioned glass plate, wherein the transferring unit transfers the glass plates received in the grooves of the holder without bringing the glass plates into touch with the grooves. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Hei 1-102130 discloses a glass plate positioning machine comprising a table having free rollers for supporting a glass plate transferred by a pair of belt conveyors, the table being movable in the vertical direction, means for positioning one of the long sides and one of the short sides of the glass plate, and means for applying force to the other one of the long sides and the other one of the short sides of the glass plate.
The glass plate positioning machine disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Sho 62-2187 is disposed beside a conveying roller, so that it is rather hard to use in a case where a positioned glass plate must be transferred by the conveying roller, because the transferring operation of the positioned glass plate from the machine to the conveying roller is not easy. The glass plate positioning machine disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Hei 1-126338 has a disadvantage in that it takes a rather long time for the transferring unit having suction pads to reciprocate. The glass plate positioning machine disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Hei 1-102130 is designed to be used for positioning rectangular or trapezoidal glass plates and not for positioning triangular glass plates which are used for the window glasses of motor cars. Any of the aforementioned glass plate positioning machine adjusts the longitudinal position and the transverse position of the glass plate so as to position the glass plate. However, there are cases when the rotational position of a glass plate around a vertical axis must be slightly adjusted in line with a slight deviation from the designed rotational position of a mold to be used in the next stage of the processing of the glass plate. In such a case, none of the aforementioned glass plate positioning machines are able to promptly adjust the rotational position of the glass plate because the positions of the rollers which abut on the glass plate for adjusting its longitudinal and transverse positions must be slightly adjusted, which cannot be carried out promptly.
Various types of glass plate supplying machines have been proposed. Japanese Patent Publication Sho 53-46343 discloses a glass plate supplying machine comprising an endless conveyor which intermittently and reciprocally repeats rotations and stoppage, a plurality of suction means having a plurality of first suction pads which are disposed apart from each other and mounted on the endless conveyor, wherein the suction pads of the suction means adhere to a glass plate when the endless conveyor is stopped and release the glass plate after the conveyor has transferred the glass plate to its destination, which machine is characterized in that each suction means is provided with an exhaust port which is connected to the first suction pads and a check valve disposed on an exhaust passage connecting the exhaust port with the first suction pads, there are provided second movable suction pads which can be detachably connected to the exhaust port of the suction means which are located at an adhering position and a processing position, and the second movable suction pads are connected to an air exhauster. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Hei 3-82318 discloses a glass plate supplying machine comprising a plurality of reciprocally movable belt conveyors disposed in parallel at a predetermined spacing, a supporting frame having a plurality of lattice-like openings disposed at a predetermined spacing which is the same as that between the reciprocally movable belt conveyors, a lifting apparatus for releasably receiving the supporting frame and moving the supporting frame in the vertical direction, and a receiving table which has a plurality of lattice-like rods disposed at a predetermined spacing which is the same that between the openings in the supporting frame.
The glass plate supplying machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Sho 53-46343 has a disadvantage in that the glass plate may be broken when it falls after being released from the suction pads. The glass plate supplying machine disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication Hei 3-82318 has a disadvantage in that the lifting apparatus which receives the supporting frame must stop for a while before the glass plate is transferred from the endless belt conveyor onto the supporting frame because of the slow speed of the receiving table driven by a motor, an oil cylinder, etc.